Super 8 Review

Super 8 Rating: 3.5/5From All the reviews on the web

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Super 8 Movie Review

Ratings:3.5/5 Reviewer:Rajeev Masand Site:IBNLive

Set in the late 70s, Super 8 is a gripping thriller from Lost
creator JJ Abrams, that follows a bunch of school-going friends who
accidentally capture footage of a major train crash while shooting a
low-budget zombie film. Something escapes from the wrecked train, and
pretty soon the army is crawling all over town. Then the plot goes all E.T. on us. It’s a good old-fashioned entertainer that delivers nifty special
effects and gimmicks, but doesn’t let them get in the way of a solid,
moving story. I’m going with three-and-a-half out of five for Super 8. Make sure you stay till the end credits for a clever surprise!

Super 8, strongly visually reminiscent of Spielberg's '80s
blockbusters, is a masterfully crafted film. There is an undeniable
sincerity in it which is brought about by steadfast, evocative direction
and flawless performances on the part of the kids. Every scene, be it
one designed to have you laugh, cry or jump out of your seat, works.Though I wish that the coming-of-age-drama aspect of the film in all its
tenderness tied in, on more levels, with its suspenseful,
mystery-filled and action aspects, I cannot bring myself to deride
Abram's ministrations. Super 8 is a superior film.

The problem with Super 8 is the different
strands the film moves in, from these kids obsessed with zombie movies
to the tension between Joe's and Alice's fathers due to an accident that
killed Joe's mother, to the town that is shaken but strangely not
scared, to a town meeting where someone suddenly screams "It's the
Soviets!", to an Air Force (the film never explains why it alone is
dealing with an admittedly serious problem) that seems like a vigilante
outfit without any central control -- with the result that the film
never comes around to the alien concerned till almost the end.
As for the alien, it remains an alien,
with two eyes, one flaring nostril, gigantic arms, a monstrous machine,
and a vague agenda -- the universe after all is a big hole.